Gramma Ray's Blog

Happy Easter everyone!

We went to brunch at DD1s and enjoyed a wonderful meal and watched the kids hunt for eggs...my little 18 month old granddaughter found the same few eggs over and over...she was too cute.

I got my moms place cleaned up and brought her car home....so everything is ready for her. FOund the puter stuff that I needed...which led to a funny story. We were digging through stuff to find it...I have one of those rooms that would compete with any home on the show "clean house" any day of the week. We call it the 'scary room'. Everything that doesnt have a home ends up in there...and after 14 years in this house, it is deep and scary. As I was going through boxes I found some good, unused goodies...one is a nice Partylight diffuser room fragrance...the other is a gift pack full of bath salts, candles, etc. The hub thought regifting sounded good...but I have decided to use them both as a freebie treat. I guess I need to dig through that room to see what other forgotten treasures I can find!

I am doing nanas laundry then will do my own for work this week. I got all of my budget spreadsheets formatted and color coordinated- which will greatly help with budgeting. (I love Excel!)Tonight I will get the medical bills paid..

All in all, a great, relaxing, productive day.

I need to leave for work at 6:15am tomorrow...so, I need to head to bed by 9pm. I was going to color my hair, but I think it will have to wait until tomorrow. I still need to make next weeks oatmeal, eat dinner and clean the kitchen and I still have at least 3 more loads of laundry between Nanas and mine.

Well, the hub just pulled the steaks off the grill...so I am off to my next to-do..

I took advantage of a day off with no one needing me to take care of anything for them--and headed off to shop for some vacation clothes. I went to Kohls and they were having quite the sale!

I bought 3 new tops, some capri's a pair of walking sandals, and Easter gifts for three of my grandbabies. Cost before sale $220. Cost after sale...$141. But then I broke down and agreed to open a charge account to save an additional %...which ended up being $20%...so I saved almost $30 more dollars... AND because I spent just over $100 after the discounts, they gave me $20 in Kohls cash that I can use this next week!!! Plus, and additional 15% on any day I want. Holy smokes. I was tickled with the results...and have checked several things off my to buy list for vacation.

I spent some time working on our budget yesterday and tweaked some things around so that we will make small changes to save more money. It looks very clean and tidy on paper...now to make it work!!

Todays to do list:

Brunch and Egg hunt at DD1's

Clean nana's house this afternoon- she comes home tomorrow.

Go to town and bring nana's car home.

Pay medical bills with the pre-paid medical card

Get my personal stuff off the work puter since it goes into the cirulation pool this week.

Get clothes ready for this next week.

Much do do, time to get busy!!

Today was payday for both the hub and I. This was a fun payday for several reasons. I made an extra $75 for not using any sick time and for that volunteer job I did with DD3 a couple of weekend ago. The hub made an extra $45 for ot. AND this is the month that those skipped bills dont have to be paid. SO, I paid the deficient balance on DD3s totaled car off...which was almost $700. I paid an extra $300 on the unsecured debt. I had promised DS that I would pay $300 towards DILs dental hygene school, so I paid that...

The rest went into savings. Part went to the PV vacation fund- the rest to savings. It felt good to sock away some savings like that!

I got the bill for my car insurance today. $320...BUT if I pay now, it is only $291...because I have a Freedom Account, that money is tucked away and ready to send. So, I will send the $291 and enjoy knowing I save $29 by planning ahead!

OH! I also got $10 today for my two year anniversary of being back at my job...TWO YEARS TODAY!...and my 401k balance, as I reported last week, is over $20k.

And now, I am enjoying a peaceful evening home alone!!

Life is good.

I am very pleased with the 1st quarter results from helping the kids with their budget.

SIL's credit score jumped 60 points, DD1s- just under 30. They have incurred ZERO new debt, have paid off three collections and with their taxes, will pay me backin full and still have $2500 to work with.

Best of all, they have learned new habits and have not felt deprived. They are entering their busy season for their side businesses- DJing and Photography...and so they will have ample extra income to get them even farther ahead over the next several months.

What was entirely BLEAK in January, is now looking extremely successful for them. In january, they were close to having utilities shut off and next eviction...and now they are caught up and ready to start saving for a home.

Yay!!

In other good news, DD3's whole persona has changed the last couple of weeks. She is spending time with us and talking...and the anger seems to be gone. We are still far from perfect, but this is much better than it was!

We dont have plans for Easter..rather, we are having a birthday party for GS and nana (who are both in California until next week) on the 18th and will do a big easter egg hunt and family get-together then. Easter will be something low key with the hub, DD3 and me. Which will work nicely.

Looking forward to the weekend...and feeling mighty blessed.

My credit union offered a tax-time skip a payment. Kindof like at Christmas, just in April. I took advantage of it so that I could apply the extra to unsecured debt over the secured debt.

I thought this was a great idea...especially considering the state of everyones finances right now.

I have 45 days to go until vacation!! This is a trip I planned about a year ago...so it is so exciting that it is getting so close. Because we planned this so far in advance I have saved all the spending money that we will need and I have saved allowance to pay for some new clothes to wear.

I mentioned in my blog last night that we had enough left overs for lunch today...well it even extended to dinner tonight...so, dinner, lunch and dinner for two for under $5!!! (yay) If I keep this up we'll be rich!!!

Disneysteve...my grandson (5) is at Disneyland today; it is also my 30 year old son-in-laws first visitp; my mom (72) also tagged along!!!!...and I hear they are having a BLAST. BA, this is something you NEED TO DO with your kids...I spoke to my family earlier and they are having so much fun......GO..you wont regret it!!!!!

It has been almost 80 today, such a gorgeous spring day!! So I stopped by the car wash on the way home and gave my car its first bath since winter started. (It NEEDED it). $6. Filled up the tank $36.

That was the only spending today.

This past weekend we bought a bottle of habanero bbq sauce from that lil bbq joint we ate at. So this morning I put a pork roast in the crock pot and when I got home, shredded the pork and had the best bbq pork sandwich Ive ever had! Yum. We have PLENTY of left overs for lunch tomorrow, so dinner and lunch will cost under $5 for two of us.

The dishwasher is running, kitchen is clean and I am ready to relax by 8pm. I am sure enjoying these early days.

And tomorrow, I have a clean car with a full tank of gas...

I checked the balance in my 401k today and was very pleased to see that the balance is now $20,250....YEEHAW. April is the end of my second year being back to work...so for two years savings, I feel GREAT about this milestone (especially considering the state of the economy this past year)!! Next year, I hope that amount grows to $33,000....stay tuned.

We are home. What a great weekend. We stopped by Walmart on the way home and picked up the few things for the week ahead and now the hub is at baseball practice and I am home alone getting things put away and laundry done. When the hub gets home we plan on taking a 3 mile walk and then making bbq teriaki chicken, rice and zucchini..YUM.

I am going to make up a big batch of oatmeal for this weeks breakfast and plan to pack a sandwich and fruit for lunch each day. With PV only 7 weeks away, I want to work to feel my best when we go!!

I got some GREAT news from DD1 today. A couple of months ago I loaned them $2k to get their finances back on track and have since been helping them budget. This weekend they learned that they are getting enough back on taxes to pay me in full and still have $2500 to balance their budget!! (YAY)

However, DD3 is needing to have surgery that we recently learned will cost $8700...and unfortunately, insurance doesnt cover the surgery she needs. I am baffled how insurance companies can deem something 'cosmetic' when it is a deformity that will cause lifelong problems (emotional and physical) if not fixed. But we will go forward with the surgery, so any extra money will be going towards savings for that purpose. I plan to schedule it for her this summer...so between now and then, our goal is to save as much as we can towards that expense.

Well, time to change the laundry and finish the to do list!

Since we brought all the food this weekend, our friends treated us to lunch today and it was FABULOUS! We ate at a little hole-in-the-wall bbq joint...but the owner has created award winning bbq sauce and he has the bbq technique nailed...boy oh boy was it good.

We went to an outlet mall nearby, but I didnt find anything that we needed. I wanted one of those cast iron grill thingys where you can 'bbq' on your stove top...but decided I really didnt NEED it...and so we spent a whopping ZERO today.

Sat in the hot tub for a little while and now we are just hanging out and relaxing...fire, wine and friendship.

I wish we were staying a few more days, but alas, this is a mini-vaca. It has been a very nice get away, but its time to head home.

and then, just 7 weeks to Puerta Vallarta!!!

Our friends arrived shortly after 3pm. We relaxed a bit and then grilled the london broil, red potatoes and made some salad. Feasted..and it was delish....and cost about $12 for the four of us... then we went for a nice brisk walk and hopped in the hot tub. ahhh...Talk about relaxing. Now we are sipping wine and relaxing in front of the fireplace/tube.

In the morning, we have coffee and creamer, followed by bagel sandwiches (eggs, sausage, cheese on a toasted bagel (about $6 for four of us) then we will go to town and hit the outlet mall...and for dinner I brought chicken, sides and salad...dinner for under $10. Best of all, we are all relaxing and enjoying friendship....Should be a great day!!!

sigh...makes working our hineys off worth it when we can get away and have some downtime. I love vacation time!

The hub and I got up and had some coffee and decided to splurge and go out to breakfast. We went to a cafe that came well recommended about 20 miles from here. We walked in and it was PACKED...always a good sign. Well, it didnt disappoint. I tried something new...a dish called potato warsaw...it had potatoes, sauerkraut, polish sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese, green onion and sour creme. It was alittle on the spendy side at $11.95, but very tasty. The hub had chicken fried steak and eggs. He said his was good. It was fun to go try something new.

Now we are just waiting on friends to arrive...they are about an hour away still.

IT was snowing when we got up and the ground was covered, but it has now all melted and its sunny out. However, the weather reports are saying more snow is on the way.

I spent a good deal of time reading the Dollar Stretcher website this morning...and I recently ordered the book All Your Worth used from Amazon and it came this week...so I will start reading that too. Hopefully, I can glean some good info from it.

Its been a great relaxing day so far! Yeah for get-aways!

It took a cocktail of drugs, but the migrain has let up tonight. After no luck with the vicodin alone, I took a vicodin AND an exedrine migraine at about 2 this afternoon and then when we arrived here, I took a nap...woke up without the headache...but the pressure points are still very painful, so I know the headache is still just masked..but heck, I will take that over that excruciating pain, anyday.

We are here. It snowed most of the afternoon and evening...we hopped in the hot tub and enjoyed the hot water and jets while getting snowed on. then, we splurged and had pizza delivered. Because we live out in the country, pizza delivery is never an option at home. So having it tonight was a real treat...dinner delivered to our front door!! it was yummy, $21 total (including a tip) and we have left overs for tomorrow too.

Out friends are coming up tomorrow afternoon, so tonight, the hub and I are enjoying having the house to ourselves. We really got a good deal. 3 nights in a two bedroom home with the jaccuzzi plus the cleaning fee was $421. When you split that cost, it is less than a hotel and you have kitchen, washer/dryer, several tvs, lots of board games, a hot tub....it really makes a sweet deal for a long weekend get away.

We brought steaks and chicken (both I got on sale and froze a few weeks ago) for the next couple of nights, so the rest of our meals will be cooked here at the house and fairly cheap.

Boy, does it feel GREAT to get away for a few days. and I am so glad that blasted migraine let up. Now, to just have a relaxing time....ahhhhhh...sigh.

A full day of pain. Joy o joy. But I pushed through and got as much done at work as possible before leaving for a 4 day weekend. We worked through lunch in a meeting...so I arranged to have sandwiches brought in for everyone. Unfortunately, my assistant forgot to get a receipt..so I charged everyone a flat $5 and ended up paying over $9 myself (and I had the smallest sandwich). sigh. This on the heels of picking up $10 in bagels, banana's and coffee creamer for everyone to snack on during the first meeting of the day.

So, $19 spent when I am trying to stick to a budget. You know my head hurts when I complain about such frivulous stuff.

On the way home, I stopped and bought groceries for this weekend. We stay in a house, so we take all our own food to keep expenses down. I am sure I will chuckle when we get there and I realize all the things my aching head forgot to pick up. gads.

So, I am on my third vicodin today...and right now my head is blissfully numb. I am hoping once I fall asleep, things will relax enough to allow the pain to go away for good and I can enjoy a pain-free long weekend.

In other news, all of the kids finances are getting squared away...and so all four have been paying us back...which is helping our savings account A LOT. I have felt rather poor for quite a while, then I look at all the loans weve dolled out and it really adds up. Thankfully, the kids are all committed to paying it back.

I am taking my laptop with this weekend, so I will be reading blogs and staying up on mine....expecially while the hub catches up on some of those (yawn) testosterone shows he enjoys. I hear we can expect some snow while we are there...nothing quite like snow falling on you in a hot tub.

I called our insurance company today to find out if DD3's counseling sessions would be covered and the answer was a very good YES. $15 copay and she can go as long as the counselor feels it is necessary. So, DD3 will be going weekly for the next two months and then we will see if we need to extend it. She continues to make improvement, which is wonderful...I will GLADLY pay the copay to see her get some tools in her toolbox to come out healthier and happier on the other end.

Tomorrow is my last day at work this week. We leave for the mountains on Thursday for 4 days. Im looking forward to that hot tub, sleeping in, bbq-g and going on some great walks!!

And then, when I get back- I am 7 short weeks away from my year-in-the-making vacation to Puerta Vallarta!!!

My boss had an early meeting this morning with some out of town visitors, so I stopped and picked up some snacks for the meeting. While I was there, I saw that my fav coffee creamer was on sale, so I bought a big one. It is $2.50 and will last at least a week. THe job pays for coffee, so for $2.50 I have 'gourmet coffee' for at least a week. Not bad Gotta love that.

I have been toying with an idea for a while. I stay fairly stressed anymore...be it work, the economy, my messy house, my teen, my mom, etc, etc. I recently read a book "A weekend to change your life"...which is a book written by a lady that spent a year by the sea 'finding herself'. Now, she offers a weekend retreat to help other women do the same. I am not planning to attend the retreat, but I am thinking about taking a weekend every quarter all to myself. No work, mom, kids, hub, bills, worries, etc. Just me and whatever I want to take- a book, knitting, a journal. I get a weekly allowance so I can save that to pay for the mini "retreat".

Am I selfish? Are my desires misguided? Does this sound like a reasonable amount of time to carve out and recharge my batteries??? Perhaps I am just getting old, but I am finding it harder and harder to stay on top of everything and I am worried about burnout. OF course, these thoughts are on the heels of some pretty hefty life changes in the last two years...a bump in the marriage, my dads death and subsequent caretaking of my mom, a new job which has changed responsibilities 3 times in two years....perhaps I just need counseling.

But I think, I will just try to figure out 3-4 cool getaway "me" times a year. I found a great little one bedroom condo with an ocean view...

After a fun, busy afternoon party...we came home with both GD (3) and GS (4). They are sitting here watching the Disney movie Cars and having some popcorn. They are both pooped, so I anticipate lights out tonight by 9pm. They are cousins, but they act like brother/sister in that they fight over everything but miss each other ferociously when they arent together. All of the grandbabies are very close, which is such a blessing. My 4 month old GD was also at the party and she and I were 'cooing' when she giggled out loud. That is one of the most amazing sounds in the world, when a tiny one gets the giggles for the first time. Pure joy.

Tomorrow, all the kids want to get together to talk about another trip in leiu of our traditional Christmas present exchange this year. They obviously enjoyed the anticipation and the memory we created by going to the cabin this last Christmas and want to talk about the possiblity of taking all the little ones to Disneyland for Christmas this year. Not sure how we could pull this off, but I am willing to hear their ideas.

One things for certain, we will be having homemade waffles in the morning when my little bundles of energy wake up recharged and ready to go...

April is my anniversary month at work. I have been back to work TWO YEARs. Hard to believe. On my one year anniversary, my 401k hit $10k...and with the economy this year I didnt hold out hope that it would double this year...but it is on track to do just that. My next paycheck should put it just over $20k.

I am not sure if it will be a realistic expectation that year three will continue at this pace as my company is having to consider cutbacks as a result of the economy and one of the items on the table is the employer 401k contribution of 8%. No decisions have been made, but there is a possibility of it being reduced or eliminated. For now, though, I will keep plugging away at my 15% contribution...

DD3 went to counseling again yesterday. Things are still far from normal for us, but I do see small positive changes happening with her. I will take even the small victories with gratitude at this point...I feel like we have been through the wringer the last few weeks.

GD (age 3) will be spending the night tonight. Her mom and dad volunteer for a youth group and are up in Portland on an excursion with their 'kids'. they took the baby with them, but we agreed that GD would be much happier spending the weekend with her grandmas...Last night she was with one gramma...tonight she will be here with us. We are going to a big anniversary party and GD's cousins will be there, so she should have a great time...I wouldnt be surprised if we dont end up bringing GS (4) home with us too.

The mountain resort we like to visit had a spring special, rent two nights - get one free, so we booked a house for next weekend. We are going on Thur-Sun. We have invited another couple to join us and they are coming up on Friday...should be relaxing and fun.

So...tomorrow, I will start getting ready for the trip...and next week...I only work 3 days...so, YAY.

Guess what??? They posted grades today and I got an A+!!!! I didnt know they gave "+" but hotdiggity, I got one!!!!!

Can you see this smile? This was the English Comp II course. I am so proud of that grade!!!!

ok...down to Earth now.

DD2 is condsidering buying a mini-van for her family. They need one, so I am supportive of the idea. They are also good budgeters, so they will be paying CASH for a used one. The starting price was $6700...and she got them down to $5700 and asked to borrow $2000 from me until May 1, when she will pay me back.

I said ok...

Being the little bargainer that she is, she went in and said that she would only pay $5000...and they said $5700 was break even for them...but low and behold, she stood firm and got the 2005 Caravan clean a whistle for $5000.

lol. Good for her. What this also means is that she will give me back my 2002 ford escort that I gave her a couple of years ago when she was a single mom and struggling. We can use this car for DD3 once she earns her priviledges back...and then she wont have a car payment, just insurance....and like Boomeyers suggested, we wont have to fully insure, just liability, which will save some $$ too....the upside for me is that I wont have to readjust my seats and radio every time I get into my car now. (yeah!)

So, everyone is happy.

I ranted some in my post yesterday, primarily referring to AIG without saying so...doggonit guys...I got even more pissed today when I read that (most of)the American bonus recipients are giving their bonuses back...WTF? Our tax dollars went to bonuses for non-Americans??? GRRRRR?????? how the hell is that even legal? not to mention ethical.

Oh well. ....Grant me the serenity to know the difference....

I GOT AN A+!!!!!!!! YEEHAW


ps....I am LOVING these new hours...I go in at 6:30 for a full hour and a half of uninterrupted work...and get off at 3:30...to enjoy a full 3 hours of daylight..I hope my boss will be open to my continuing this if it works out at work...

I am frustrated tonight. I pay my taxes. I did not buy a bigger house than I could afford. I have been responsible with my bills. I live within my means. I take care of my family. I work for a good, ethical company. I save. I bargain shop. I forego, do without, make do.

So why the heck am I paying for those who chose to do otherwise???

The whiplash from all of this nonsense is starting to hit those who did it all right...and it pisses me off!!!!

Million dollar bonuses after my (our)taxes bailed them out...give me a freakin break.

IN one way or another we are all paying for corporate greed and it makes me cranky.

sigh.

We used that steak tonight...and enjoyed a nice, cheap dinner that tasted like a high dollar meal.

I needed to pick up a few things at the store tonight and found some great deals on chicken. Tomorrow I will put a chicken in the crockpot with butter and indian curry. Makes a very easy, yummy meal!!

Sorry to rant tonight...just cranky over things I cant control but have to pay for. When we all work so hard to do it right, it irritates me to have to bail out those who have been greedy and irresponsible...and then see big bonuses paid for all that 'hard work'....givemeafreakinbreak. endofrant.

Target had the lavender vanilla fabric softner on sale for $4.50 yesterday so I bought a bottle. Sometimes, a splurge is just worth it. I washed all my jammies and my sheets with it today and now I am sitting here enjoying the scent as I wind down and get ready for bed. mmmmmm....

Today we had every possible weather there is...snow, rain, sun,calm, wind, snow, sleet, hail, rain, and sun. geeze. IT was amazing to watch thruought the day.

My husband cut down a tree yesterday for a homeowner who was nervous about the tilt it was making and thought it might fall on the neighbors house.

So...this afternoon he suggested using the money he earned to take all the kids and grandbabies out to dinner tonight. They were all so thankful for a night out. The economy has hit them hard, and a dinner out is a luxury. We went to our local mexi restaurant..and thoroughly enjoyed them and the babies. What fun!! at $170 (which included the tip) we fed all 13 of us, dinner, drinks and desert...and the smile from those little guys was priceless. What a happy gramma I am!

so, here I sit, having been blessed by family and fun tonight, enjoying my clean, lavendar bedding...and winding down for the week ahead. sigh. Life is so blessed!!

The week ahead? Bring it!

Yesterday, our company went to a local food access non-profit and helped with repackaging food. We were able to repackage 3 months for them!!

DD3 begrudgingly joined me. It was either that, or go with her dad to cut down a tree.

We volunteered for the kitchen and found out our job was to take huge bags of pretzels and turn it into 12 smaller bags. DD3s job was to seal the bags, mine was to label and repack them into the boxes.

We lucked out and the other helpers were all people I have worked with over the years. So we had lots of things to talk about as we worked. At first, DD3 was very quiet and it was easy for everyone to tell she had a bad tude.

But...by the end of our shift, she was smiling and talking and enjoying herself. And when we left, she said she enjoyed herself.

The rest of the day she was pleasant and it felt like a glimmer of her old self was back.

One of the guys who work at the non-profit was sharing some of the stories with us about about the families they help...and not-surprisingly, how those numbers are increasing. It felt good knowing we were helping in even a small way to help offset overhead costs so that more of the funds could be used for goods for the families.

Today, I am hanging out at home catching up on everything before I start the week. I have to say, it feels good knowing I do not have school in the mix next week.

Tonight we will grill a steak out of the freezer for dinner.

I cant say it should be a not spender, because there are some groceries we will need for the week...but I should be minimal.

For now, I am just enjoying a cup of coffee as I read your blogs.

Most guys and even some ladies will not understand this rant....but I know, some of you will completely relate!

UNDERWIRE. Why is it, that those darn things cant stay put? Within just weeks of buying a new bra, that wire starts it journey upward and onward. No matter how determined I am to show it who's boss, that blasted wire keeps reappearing and not always at the opportune times! Business meetings lately, I am finding myself sitting on my hands so that I dont unconsciously wrangle it back into place to stop the constant pinch.



I HATE shopping for these things, and hate even more that break-in honeymoon period. Talk about straight-jackets from hell.

But I am tired of fighting this one. I am ready to concede, yank the blasted thing out and turn it into a paperclip!

But alas, I will weave it back into place in the morning, fight with it throughout the day and try to find some time to buy a new one.

Argh.

Went to counseling this afternoon. We did the initial visit and got everthing on the table. DD3 spent about 45 minutes with the counselor one-on-one. She has another appt next friday. She didnt say anything more that uh-huh and uh-uh on the way home. But she did say "I love you" as she left for work.

I am glad its the weekend. I am beyond ready for a mental break this week. Tomorrow I am repacking food for a local non-profit. and I am budgeting with DD1 on SUnday evening..but beyond that, nothing more mentally taxing than a sitcom is on my agenda.

I actually got home today before the sun went down!!

I picked DD3 up from school and had a very silent trip home. I volunteered to pack food boxes this weekend for our community food bank and asked if she would like to join me, she turned me down. So, I will ask her again, and hopefully she will agree. I think some community service would do her heart good. She is definately ANGRY. When we got home, she went to her room and slammed the door. SHe is reading a book tonight. Our appointment with the counselor is Friday at 2pm. The counselor specializes in troubled teens. I hope she can give me tips on how to deal with all of this anger.



If you read my blogs, you know how much I love and adore my family. But I am committed to doing tough love for as long as it takes to get DD3 back on track. Is it easy or pleasant....absolutely not...but as a mom I will do whatever it takes to help DD3 make better choices. Please keep your fingers crossed for us.

My boss was great this morning when I met with him. He told me to adjust my schedule to whatever I needed....family comes first. (Have I mentioned I love my boss???) So, I will work 7-3:45 at work and take a short lunch.

My new assistant starts on Thursday, so I will get her trained and my dept is fully staffed...and I have all the right people on the team!!! This will mean the stress at work should start to subside.

Tonight I had leftovers for dinner. All the cooking the last few days is paying off. Tonight I am going to make some oatmeal for breafast at work the rest of the week. SInce I am starting early, I will need it. Luckily, my job provides free coffee, so no cost there.

We also have enough leftovers for the remainder of the week...so lunches are covered.

And finally, getting home earlier means more time to do laundry and housework...perhaps this new temp schedule will be good for my stress level. Lord knows, I could use a break from it right now...

Much to be grateful for, much to overcome.

I turned in my final paper for my class tonight. It was a tough paper to write-my topic was very disturbing. But I finished it and turned it in. Never been so glad to get something done as I was that paper. The topic was late-term abortion.

I have decided not to return to school for a while, especially now that we are dealing with DD3 issues. I need to keep my focus on her right now. Plus, I have a vacation in May that would take me out of class for two weeks, which is not good.

I called the counselor today and we have an appointment on Friday. I have submitted my request to my boss for flex hours and will be talking to him about it tomorrow. Just in case he says yes, I will go in at 6:30am to start the day so that I can pick up DD3 when she gets out of school tomorrow.

I stayed home this morning until DD3 got on the bus, just to insure she didnt fail on day one. She was not happy with me for keeping such close tabs, but I suggested she start getting used to it. For a while, this is our new reality.

I went to lunch with a co-worker today, who happens to be a pastors wife. She was very supportive of all the things we are trying and even mentioned that her husband could help too. We went to a restaurant that is set up in one of the older mansions in the area. The house was build in the late 1800's so it has alot of character and charm. It was nice to sit and visit for a while too. Lunch was very tasty too.

After class tonight, I got home and the hub had bbq'd chicken and made a repeat batch of the red potatoes that we had last night. yum. I LOVE coming home to a home cooked meal and a toasty fire....especially on a cold, rainy day like it we had today.

We have Sunday supper fairly routinely. It is a night when we are gearing up for the week ahead, we usually have done some grocery shopping over the weekend...and Sunday afternoons are fairly low key. Tonight is no different.

Tonight, the hub is grilling some of that London Broil my mom snagged at the sales this weekend. I just cut up some red potatoes and mixed them up with some olive oil, dry onion soup mix and parmesan cheese..and tossed the dish in the oven- add some green beans and french bread and dinner for the three of us plus nana will be about $10....and it looks like we will have enough leftovers for 2-3 lunches too!

What do you do for Sunday Supper???

DD3 has come out of her room only to do laundry today. We invited her down for breakfast and the hub asked her if she wanted to go to the gun show this afternoon. Both met with definate NO's. I am giving her her space....and allowing her to come to terms with the new rules. I feel better just knowing we are working on this plan.

Tough love moved in with us yesterday, much to DD3s (17) dismay. I am sure in her eyes her dad and I have earned the most sucky parents of the year award. Tomorrow, I will be talking to my boss about changing my work hours so that I will be home in the afternoons with her to help keep her on track. This will mean arriving at work at 6:30am and getting off at 3:30pm. I am hoping he will be ok with this. I have a feeling he will be supportive of it. Our primary goal is to keep her focused on school and help her make better choices inspite of creepy bf's influence. Perhaps her not having a car is a blessing in disguise. Now there is no cell or internet either. sigh. Who is tough love harder on? If only our kids could see that we really do have their best interest at heart.

The hub has come around. He was not understanding the depth of concern for DD3 and was not being supportive. Unfortunately, an incident this week opened his eyes and we are now on the same page. A parental united front definately helps all around.

My mom found a great deal on London Broil steaks yesterday at $1.99 lb, so she stocked us up. These will come in handy for all of the bbqs we have with the kids.

I have to finish my final paper today as it is due tomorrow night. My last class is tomorrow night--and I wont be taking another class until at least September. This term was just too crazy with my mom, the changes at my job, DD3, etc. I am worn out and need a break from that added pressure. If my paper is good, I should be on track for an A in the class.

It is raining here today. We have more overcast, rainy days in winter than sunny days...and after a while it gets downright dreary. We did have two nice, warm sunny days last week...of course, days I was working!! Hopefully, there are more on the way soon!

Well, I am off to work on that paper!

How can the world be amiss when there is Banana's Foster to be enjoyed?

Seriously! I had a nice dinner out with a good friend tonight and when it was time for dessert, I noticed this option on the menu..they claimed it was the "specialty"...Neither of us had ever had it...so we ordered it.

WOW. It wasnt just a dessert, it was an experience!! Our waiter rolled this cart up and proceeded to cook up a bowl of incredible flaming OH MY GOSHNESS...right there, tableside. The aroma was amazing...and the dish....pure sin on a plate.



I think I have found a new favorite for special occasions. wow.

I am so glad it is Friday..and that I have no plans this weekend (execpt my Final paper for Eng Comp II). This has easily been one of the more stressful weeks Ive had in a long time. Too personal to get into here..but I will suffice to say, teenagers are tough at times, husbands can be jerks, and even the most wonderful job can cause heartburn. I seriously considered running away by mid-week. Just pack my bags and head off to Boomeyers, Fern, Ima Saver...then again, Baselle would be closer, and I hear there are bargains on purses up there to be had.

But alas, I will hang here and ride the storm out. DD3 is in deep, deep do-do --so by tomorrow, I will officially be the least popular mom on the planet...but parenting is not a popularity contest, is it?

The hub is coming around to the fact that he goofed...and is doing what he can to un-jerk himself.

The job, well...being in the financial business right now is just tough. Heartbreaking at times for those being hit hardest..but working at a credit union, at least I can sleep knowing we do the right things for the right reasons for our members.

But alas, there is Banana's Foster...who knew? And almost instantly, all is right with the world.

I want to prefice this entry by saying I am more grateful than I can say that DD3 was not injured in her accident. We are truly, truly blessed that she was ok.

Our insurance company is not going to payoff the car, rather they will pay what they feel the car is worth minus our deductible plus subtract for each ding the car had....oh and the rust on the tire. Luckily, the interior upholstry didnt sag.

So...a car we owned less than 6 months, that was less than low blue blue book when we bought it...plus I put $500 down and paid on it for 6 months...and we still have a deficit of almost $1000 from what the insurance is paying and what I owe. ARGH.

I am sure that if she gets another vehicle, it will cost and arm and a leg to insure her.

But again. I am grateful this is our biggest challenge this week and not hospital bills or worse.

Fortunately, I have enough saved to payoff the car. Obviously, leaving it in savings would have been my first choice...especially over paying off something that is worthless. sigh.

Ok, end of rant. DD3 is ok, and thats whats important. Money...just painfully replaceable.

Last year, I dedicated my blogoversary blog to all of our lurkers and invited them to jump in and join us!!

Today...in keeping with that tradition, I am calling out to all of you who, for whatever reason, have not yet joined the SA family with a blog of your own.

We would like the opportunity to get to know as many of you as possible...I am sure you have important contributions to make to our community.

If you are considering joining, I invite you to choose today, to crossover...It's easy, it's fun, it's rewardsing...and it's FREE....

If you do, respond to this entry so I will know how many of you I enticed today...

(I am hoping for at least ONE!!!)

Go ahead, make my day!!

To everyone else...have some blogoversary cake on me!!!

Tomorrow is my THREE YEAR Blogoversary....yay! I am still learning so much from all of you. Some of you I feel like I know...and many I consider friends! I appreciate each of you for your insight and uniqueness. The combination of experiences, ideas and opinions sure make this a great place to hang out!!

Tonight was my wine class. This is such a fun class. There are twelve of us and each month we study and pair a different type of wine and meal. Tonight was Bordeux wines...with a wonderful meal. I am making some new friends, and I really enjoy the 'me' time. Especially lately, when life seems a little stressful with all that is happening with DD3....why are teens so darn tough????

The wine class was $250 which included 10 months of gourmet meals, dessert and wine tasting. Then, the instructor takes us on a two day wine tour. It was a little expensive, but I have fully enjoyed the experience. I think we have three more classes left.

Thanks again to all my SA friends...BFF Kath, Julie, Fern, Baselle, Paulette, BA, PP, CCF, FT, Amber, etc...etc...and all the rest of you who've become my extended cyber-family...you are appreciated!!!!

HUGS!

It has been snowing off and on all day here...very pretty, but I am sure my about-to-bloom daffodils are more than a little confused.

I had several of the red potatoes still left from my 5 lb bag....so I combined a few recipes and came up with a mighty yummy recipe for them. I cut them into quarters or eighths, depending on how big they were, drizzled olive oil over them and then seasoned them with sea salt, pepper, dill weed and parmesan cheese. Then, added a few dabs of butter and baked until done.. turning occasionally and adding a little more parmesan before they came out of the oven. YUM. We bbq'd the pork chops, added some salad and viola! quite the meal. (we also pulled some bread out of the freezer and my mom made some asparagus.) Feels like I ate at a 5 star tonight.


I watched Nights in Rodanthe this afternoon..so,so. While the hub and DD3 watched star wars downstair..I retreated to the bedroom and that new cozy bedding. It was not the best I have ever watched...but relaxing in that new bedding and all those pillows made me feel like I had escaped for a couple of hours.

If any of my friends here pray or send good thoughts, we could use them. I learned today that DD3s bad-influence, contolling BF was discharged today after just 2 months in the military...and will be home tomorrow. It was devatating news and I am still reeling. I had just started to feel like the old DD3 was coming back to us. Now this. Perhaps her not having a car right now is a blessing in disguise. I guess we will see what the near future brings. darn.


I am missing that hour tonight. I love that it is still light out at almost 7pm...but I am missing the hour and will definately feel it in the morning...but alas...within a week or so, it will be the usual and no biggie.

And now, after snowing much of the day, the sun is out. No wonder my daffodils are confused.